NFL has no comment on Giants, Eli Manning lawsuit

Posted by Mike Florio on April 14, 2017, 8:07 PM EST

Getty Images

Hiding in plain sight for more than three years, the civil suit against the Giants and quarterback Eli Manning alleging fraudulent memorabilia sales took on new significance on Thursday, via the report from the New York Post regarding an arguable smoking-gun email from Manning that the plaintiffs believe proves active involvement in a scheme to pass off helmets as game used when they weren’t.

Although the situation doesn’t involve the violation of any in-game rules and despite the fact that no criminal charges have been filed, the NFL could wedge the situation into the scope of the Personal Conduct Policy, if the league wants to proceed in that fashion.

“Conduct by anyone in the league that is illegal, violent, dangerous, or irresponsible puts innocent victims at risk, damages the reputation of others in the game, and undercuts public respect and support for the NFL,” the Personal Conduct Policy broadly provides in one of its preliminary paragraphs. “We must endeavor at all times to be people of high character; we must show respect for others inside and outside our workplace; and we must strive to conduct ourselves in ways that favorably reflect on ourselves, our teams, the communities we represent, and the NFL.”

The laundry list of prohibited acts appearing later in the policy includes the following: “Crimes of dishonesty such as blackmail, extortion, fraud, money laundering, or racketeering.”

Pre-Ray Rice, there could be no crime without a criminal prosecution. Now that the league has decided to disregard the decisions made by the criminal justice system and to engage in its own investigation, it’s possible (if the league so desires) that this situation could result in not only a review but also the imposition of discipline.

The league could proceed now if it wants. If a verdict ultimately is entered against the Giants and/or Eli, it would be harder for the NFL to do nothing. Either way, the Giants and Eli need to take into account the possibility of a league investigation when considering whether to settle the case before any additional proof of fraud or other conduct prohibited by the Personal Conduct Policy becomes public.

Breaking QB-communication rule and the comms cut-off rule, needling Steelers’ balls, using a cellphone on the sidelines (no one checked what the medical-services VP was texting but it wasn’t when a player got injured), domestic violence, players claiming a Super Bowl team-mate (Tyree) used stickem, ripping off fans with fake memorabilia… don’t need to be investigated or if wrong warrant no more than a warning letter or greatly reduced penalty if Mara deems it would have a negative impact on the league.

looks like we might to have get ready for another summer of ted wells. “it’s more probable than not …. mr manning didn’t do anything wrong. mr manning claims he wore a different helmet for each quarter therefore all his helmets could be considered game worn. end of the story and we’re sticking to it.” sincerely, ted wells.

If this was Brady, Goodell would be so excited he could cancel his Viagra prescription. Because this is the Giants Dirty Roger is going to pretend nothing happened and pray that the press drops the issue before he’s forced to slap Mara on the wrist.

Lol while the article has nothing to do with it. Dumbest fans ever, Eli will be straight.
______________________

Unfortunately the sham that was framegate including, but not limited to, the commissioner’s outright documented lies in his arbitration finding has given the Pats fans the right to unload on anything pertaining to ‘the integrity of the game’ and or the Personal Conduct Policy. It is also unfortunate that they can’t see they are now the ones passing judgement without any actual proof of wrongdoing. When you consider their outrage back when it was their guy being dragged through the mud their reaction hereis beyond hypocritical. Not that any of that really matters to a Ravens troll but it matters to this Giants fan who called a spade a spade through out all the framegate bs and still does for that matter.

It’s shaping up to be a slow news summer in the NFL so I suspect stories like this will be posted more often.

As someone who has no respect for the current Mara generation and believes the Giants of late have successfully avoided more appropriately severe punishment for multiple instances of serious rules violations, I figure it’s only a matter of time before something someone associated with the team does that catches up with them.

Also being someone who doesn’t have much respect for the Manning family and how they have manipulated circumstances in their favor that again, other players or families in the NFL would have paid dearly for, I wouldn’t be troubled if they somehow, collectively got their comeuppance.

But this is an accusation of fraud. As such, I don’t delight in this as being something that, true or false, fairly evens the score. Eli Manning should be given his day in court on this issue. And unless he is defended by Jose Baez, we should allow the court system to judge his guilt or innocence.

How amazing it is that anyone would believe that the NFL is fair? People complaining about “shams”…lol.. Don’t say we never warned you! Goodell is a dictator who reacts without fact and will continue to do so, unless he is a favorite owner…NFL -WWE but much worse!!!

Brady should have never been suspended with no real evidence and neither should Manning. BUT if it’s more probable than not that he and the Giants organization DID knowingly defraud a collector of memorabilia there should be consequences handed down by the league. At the very least a player suspension, team fine and loss of draft picks. Not sure where I remember that happening before but pretty sure it did. After all, the integrity of the league is at stake.

When it comes out that Eli Manning did nothing wrong, he should sue a certain newspaper to spreading lies. This is getting completely out of hand. But I don’t expect Eli to talk or be forced into it until all is resolved.

This surely falls under conduct detrimental to the league. The Giants and Eli were intentionally selling fake game used equipment to the fans of the NFL.
How can any fan now that has purchased any of these items from any team or players be sure that the entire NFL isn’t in on the scam to defraud it’s customers/fans?

At the conclusion of this case there should be massive fines and suspensions. It might not seem to be that bad to most, because it looks like a bunch of not right in the head jock sniffers getting ripped off, but that doesn’t matter, what the Giants and Eli have done is highly illegal.

Lol while the article has nothing to do with it. Dumbest fans ever, Eli will be straight.

———————-

To your point that the article has nothing to do with it the Patriots are clearly the biggest thing on your mind because that was your first thought.

The only parallel is how guilt or innocence is being predetermined based on sports bias rather than by evidence. Right now they actually dont have any on Eli. Taking emails without providing their context is not evidence. Im not saying he is innocent either, but no one here should be saying they know either way.

I support the NFL in not commenting on. This is a civil/criminal matter outside of football and the courts need to do their work. The NFL is correct to stay out of it. If the charges get proven in court then the NFL can weigh in with how they think this should affect Eli in the league just like any employer would. But if a court determines that there is nothing to this when you examine the actual facts (like they did with Brady) then it should be dropped and Eli should be free to go back to throwing picks. (Sorry, Im not a fan, just not going to be unfair either)

Fan boys, based on what is known, the NFL wasn’t complicit with or had knowledge of the allegeD acts of Eli and the Giants at the time of occurence. HOWEVER, shold these acts be proven true (the flame is getting hot) and should the NFL do nothing, it will be yet another example of the NFL’s alarmingly inconsistent and hypocritcal sense of justice. Selling counterfeit goods does violate the Player Conduct Code and if Eli gets a pass on this one, all hell is going to break loose!!

Eli is a total phony and a criminal. Reminds me of the man that stole the election with Russian help and calls himself President, when 100 million people in this country see him for what he is: a dictator the likes of which the world hasn’t seen since the 1930s and 1940s. While Eli isn’t a war criminal like the other guy, they are both fraudsters.

Eli Manning is not a criminal, fraud, liar, phony or whatever other disparaging names getting thrown at him. The emails were clearly taken out of context. Sad to watch what’s happening to him right now especially as he’s been so silent so far. But finer minds are coming to his defense which is good to see.

briang123 says:
Apr 15, 2017 11:27 AM
Eli is a total phony and a criminal. Reminds me of the man that stole the election with Russian help and calls himself President, when 100 million people in this country see him for what he is: a dictator the likes of which the world hasn’t seen since the 1930s and 1940s. While Eli isn’t a war criminal like the other guy, they are both fraudsters.

—————–

I thought the guys that saw this as a Patriots thing were being pretty far fetched and obsessive, but this takes the cake.

med515 says:
Apr 15, 2017 11:58 AM
Eli Manning is not a criminal, fraud, liar, phony or whatever other disparaging names getting thrown at him. The emails were clearly taken out of context. Sad to watch what’s happening to him right now especially as he’s been so silent so far. But finer minds are coming to his defense which is good to see.
——————–
Apparently you haven’t been paying attention over the last 3 years.

Sorry, but there isn’t a soul alive who doesn’t know in his heart that if this was NE Patriot Tom Brady instead of NY Giant Eli Manning the league would already have Ted Wells on the case and Troy Vincent would be screaming for blood.

Does anybody really care about memorabilia dealers? Have you seen them? The one segment of society more troll like than Boston fans. Imagine the thought of any article posted about any player on a Saturday afternoon waiting to pounce.

Guess that’s what happens when most Boston fans over the age of 30 spent their entire lives living in NY city’s shadow being their beyotch..

I’m sure they were the losers giving thumbs down on Todd Heaps tragedy because they have no respect for anything or anybody else. Plus they hate when every post doesn’t mention the Pats..

briang123 says:
Apr 15, 2017 11:27 AM
Eli is a total phony and a criminal. Reminds me of the man that stole the election with Russian help and calls himself President, when 100 million people in this country see him for what he is: a dictator the likes of which the world hasn’t seen since the 1930s and 1940s. While Eli isn’t a war criminal like the other guy, they are both fraudsters.

———

How exactly did the Russians help anyone? You mean by revealing actual correspondence between Hillary and her operatives and giving The People a more truthful look at who Hilliary really is as a person?

Thanks for reminding me why I left your city for Boston. Didn’t want to spend my life in the shadow of Toronto, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Niagara Falls, Rochester…think you get the picture.
If you paid any attention the past two years, you’d get why Pat’s fans are paying attention to this, or maybe you just read the headlines. And while obsessing over this, how would Pat’s fans have time to thumbs down Heap’s tragic story? Sure you can’t find the time to respond to this. Such is life in Buffalo, the Center of the Universe.

I’m sure they were the losers giving thumbs down on Todd Heaps tragedy because they have no respect for anything or anybody else.
————————–
So, you’re sure of that?
It appears to me that you’ve taken a handful of thumbsdown from a handful of classless losers and arbitrarily assigned responsibility for doing so to entire fanbase. From my perspective, your use of the Heap family’s tragic accident to spout your own misguided hatred toward that fanbase shows you to be the bigger loser here. Please just go away and don’t come back until you’ve grown up.